Representative Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) engaged in a spirited back-and-forth with his constituents Saturday morning during a raucous town hall event.
Reed, whose district covers a portion of western New York, addressed his constituents’ healthcare concerns, especially those regarding the proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act – Obamacare – and the GOP’s potential replacement. Kicking the conversation off, Reed said:
“We are going to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare.”
His declaration was met with loud and sustained booing. Several of Reed’s constituents pushed back against his assertion that Obamacare should be repealed. The audience cheered one woman who said:
“[Obamacare] is a machine, and it is working for a lot of people. Does it need oiling? Yes. But why do we throw the baby out with the bathwater? Let’s fix it.”
Others expressed concern over a potential defunding of the reproductive health services organization Planned Parenthood. Reed recently voted to defund his local Planned Parenthood and has consistently opposed pro-choice measures. He reiterated his position today, parroting the popular right-wing myth that federal funds support abortions:
“I do not support taxpayer funding of abortion.”
But the crowd, refusing to let him get away with his dishonesty, erupted into shouting and finger-pointing. One constituent charged:
“You, our elected official, is [sic] giving misinformation. Right now, our taxes do not pay for abortions. They pay for mammograms, they pay for birth control.”
The conversation eventually turned toward calls for single-payer healthcare. Reed questioned whether a single-payer system could be economically feasible. But one man was ready with a commonsense solution:
“If we did not go to war all the time, we could afford healthcare. Stop dropping bombs!”
In addition to healthcare issues, constituents expressed concern over the Trump administration. Some brandished signs reading “Show us Trump’s taxes” and “Impeach Trump!”
Reed’s experience is reminiscent of another recent town hall event featuring Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Ut.). Chaffetz endured a hostile crowd numbering over a thousand and chants of “Do your job!”
The weaponization of town halls is a strategy the Left has consciously borrowed from the Tea Party playbook. Indivisible, the organization behind the Indivisible Guide, is leading the way in encouraging direct democratic participation. Their guide reads:
“The Tea Party started as an organic movement built on small local groups of dedicated conservatives. Yes, they received some support/coordination from above, but fundamentally all the hubbub was caused by a relatively small number of conservatives working together.”
By adopting the same tactics – flooding town halls and other local events to air grievances – the left can better hold republican lawmakers accountable.
And, as Chaffetz and Reed have learned, these events are powerful. Confrontational town hall meetings put lawmakers on notice, and remind them that without public approval, they might soon find themselves out of a job.
Featured image via Facebook video.
